Method of distilling resinous woods



May 6, 1930.

J. c. SCHAFFER 1,757,144

METHOD OF DISTILLING RESINOUS WOODS Filed Oct. 11. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1' LL Q &

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May 6, 1930.

J. c. SCHAFFER 1,757,144

METHOD OF DISTILLING RESINOUS WOODS Filed Oct. 11. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 XZ 1 l if a? if Patented May 6, 1930 JOHN C. SCHAFFER, 0F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN PINE PRODUCTS GORPN., 0F RENO, NEVADA, A CORPORATION OF NEVADA METHOD OF DISTILLING BESINOUS WOODS Application filed October 11, 1926. Serial No. 140,870.

This invention relates to the directing of heat action progressively against material for the separation of fluids therefrom.

This invention has utility when incorporated in connection with wood distillation.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of an embodiment of apparatus for carrying out the invention for removing liquids and volatiles from woods;

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the wood retorting apparatus of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of astick of wood disclosing the progressive treatment thereof hereunder;

Fig. 4 is a section on the line IV-IV, Fig. 1; and

Fig. 5 is a section on the line V-- V, Fig. 4.

Closure or door 1 as removable from opening 2 in housing end wall 3 permits access to chamber 4 having convex bottom wall 5 having oppositely diverging riser sides 6 therefrom extending between the housing end walls 3. Connecting the upper portions of these side walls 6 is top arch side 7 completing the chamber 4 as a receiver in which the material to be treated is introduced. In the event the material to be subjected to the progressive heat treatmentbe sticks of wood, say more or less weathered remnants from lumbering or cutting over Southern States yellow pine lands, sticks 8 are preferably stacked with ends upward against the sides 6.

The general direction thus given the ducts I in the sticks of wood is thus parallel to the sides 6 and from the arch side 7 toward the convex bottom wall 5.

\Vorkmen, by entering the retort chamber 4, to arrange sticks 8 therein for a charge, complete the charge toward the entrance of the chamber. Thereafter the end doors 1 are fixed in closure position by fasteners 9. In charging the chamber to capacity, the sticks may be set up over the entire area of the bottom wall 5. In the event the sticks are short of reaching toward the arch side 7, it is desirable to place any sticks as used to piece out length theretoward on end as to the-sticks therebelow.

Furnaces are provided and herein shown ashaving grates 10 which may be charged with solid fuel through fire doors 11. In some operations volatiles from said process may be collected to effect this heating. However, wood trimmings and wastewhich may not be suitable for treatment in the retort chamber,-may be used for fuel. Above the grates 10 are combustion chambers 12, while below are ashpits 13 from which the ashes desired, even to submerging more or less the chamber walls 5, 6. This water level control is determined by charging the vessel 19, havmg water'supply pipe 20 extending to the boiler chamber 18 near its bottom wall portions 16, with pressure release provision through blow off pipe 21 from the upper portions of the chamber 18 extending down into the vessel 19. The depth of submergence may hold a slight steam pressure as desired in the boiler 18. Float 22 as controlling valve 23, automatically maintains water level in the vessel 19, by replenishing form supply line 24, intermittently.

The combustion chambers 12 thin out into fiat fiues 25 along the upper side of arch wall top 7 for the chamber 4, and then discharge at stacks 26 having dampers 27 therein rovided with control means 29 as governed by thermostats or pyrometers 30 for maintaining the temperature in the chamber 4 at a desired constant, or in a desired range or sequence. Upwardly from the furnaces is outer housing wall 31 which envelops the apparatus as an insulation jacket for holding in the heat.

With the heavily laden rosin and turpentine pine sticks, the bringing the temperature of the chamber up to say 450 F. may be with damper 32 closed, and trough 33 open at damper at. The volatiles thus pass to riser portion of condenser chamber 35 as equipped with cooling coil 36 having its flow adjusted by valve 37.

Such volatiles as may be most readily condensed are thus collected by the trough 33 before leaving the chamber 4. The next in order of condensation are brought down by the chamber 35 and are conducted by line38 into receiving vessel 39. Condenser coil portions 40, 41, effect further condensations for flow by lines 42, 43, to vessels 44, 45. Any "olatiles still remaining may be taken off by line 46 extending to valve 47 and there controllably delivered to the furnaces. These first fractions of liquid condensate may dis close by their character the progress of the treatment in producing the char. As so conducted, the collections from troughs 48 are of a light cherry, almost straw color.

. With the heating of the retort chamber continuing, and say bringing the chamber temperature up to 550 to 600 F., a char begins to develop at the upper ends of the sticks 8. In the starting of operations, as well as during the run, a 'nicety of draft control in the chamber 4 is desired. ThlS control is preferably an approximate balance to avoid an blowing, but with ust enough current to etermine volatile flow from the trough 33. To this end, the bottom wall 5, has inclined troughs 48 adjacent the walls 6. These troughs extend into the hot water of the boiler '18, instead of being steam ]8.Cketed as are the walls 5, 6. The troughs 48 have discharge spouts 49 at receiving vessels 50. These spouts 49 may have the openings checked by lids 51 as positioned by adjusting means 52. The gum or hot rosin may be free to flow into the vessels 50. The degree of opening of the lids 51 permits draft upward into the chamber 4 to the trough 33.

As char 53 develops on the sticks 8, the damper 34 is closed, and the damper 32 1s opened. The progressive heat action upon the wood seems to melt out a quantity of the gum, or gum and rosin t o ooze out of the sides of the sticks and trickle down to the wall 5. On the sticks 8 there is thus created a bleeding or oozing zone 54, whlch is spaced from the char 53 by a relatively dry region 55.

The progressive heating as thus conducted involves a melting of the coarse accumulations of liquid, with dripping thereof down for drawing ofl byway of the troughs 48. The sticks may be two to four or five lnches in diameter, but' are preferably split and with bark removed to expose the rough ducts laterally in the wood. From experience,

quite a proportion of such material oozes out from the sticks. The less readily separated portion is cooked out of the stick in the region where the bleeding zone 54 approaches the dry zone 55. Accordingly there is not directchar contamination, although ling from the wood for The trough 33 has a normal flow incline past the damper 32 for discharge by spout 56 for the trough collections, as well as collections from condenser 57. During more intensive running, say at 650 F. and higher, the collections from the trough 33 may be tar, to pass by the spout 56 to receivingvessel 58. To give freedom for such type of tar running, spout 56, which lid is adjustable and may co-operate with the lids 51 for the draft rate.

However, as there may be volatiles to collect beyond the condenser 57, the lid '59 under such circumstances is .closed. The condenser section 60 is then effective for bringing down condensate for flow by lines 61, 62, to vessels 63, 64. These collections may be more or less clear rosin oil, turpentine, pine oil, etc. Line 46 from the condenser portion 60, may take off the uncondensable volatiles.

The collections may be washed, redistilled, or otherwise put into merchantable shape as desired for naval stores, or other purposes. The char is of such a quality that upon grinding it products a satisfactory pigment.

The materials may be removed as char from theretort after the heating has con.- tinued for such interval as to cause the char to travel along the sticks 8 into proximity to the bottom wall 5. The chamber 4 is then ready for recharging and repetition of the cycle of operations as herein set forth.

In the operations hereunder, the retort chamber 4 is charged with the wood containing-the sap products. The heated gases from the furnaces envelop the upper portion of the chamber 4 and drive the more intense beat down upon the ends of the sticks of wood stacked in the chamber 4 to direct toward such sticks a greater heat. The heat from the furnaces is indirectly effective on the lower portions of the chamber 4. Boiler 18 is thus operating as a steam generator, even when steam is against the walls 6, 5. This temper-v ature of the boiler is sufficient to maintain liquid state for the gums and rosin as trickdelivery of such into the troughs 48. The heat action after bringing about the bleeding, works into a char at the upper ends of the wood sticks. As the heating, even at a constant or maintained temperature, continues, the char progresses downward along the sticks to vard the bottom wall 5, with the exuding zone 54 spaced from such char by the intermediate relatively less active region 55 spacing the char from such exudations in keeping the exudations from direct contamination with such char. The volatiles rise and pass out to the condensers where collections thereof are made.

Flow through steam line connection lid 59 is provided adjacent the There is accordingly possible a manual adjustment of steam discharge by lines 67 into the retort chamber 4. This added vapor may bring about an acceleration of the flow rate, as well as co-operate as a sort of steaming process step in the wood treatment.

From the foregoing. it is to be understood that in the operation of the equipment disclosed for the treatment of wood, the gum as melted out in the first stages is of a lighter color and has entrained therewith a relatively larger proportion of turpentine and pine oil than gum later melted out to pass away by the troughs 48. In the mild earlier operation, there is some water also entrained with the gum, turpentine and oil: The How off of vapor in such earlier operation may be controlled by the damper 34, with the damper 32- closed. These portions may, for the starting or a desired length of time,'be held by the damper as a blanket to promote distillation or dissolving of the more diflicult portions to be extracted from the wood. Accordingly there is a controlled solvent promoting action in conjunction with this distillation. After the heating has proceeded to bring about char action upon the wood, the damper 34 is closed and the damper 32 is opened. This more intense operation brings out creosote and some tar from the wood. a a

The steam jacket zone and the Water jacket zone provided for the retort chamber, permit withdrawal of two streams of products simultaneously. The higher temperature above which forces down the charring zone in the material treated, generates vapors which rise to pass out by the damper 34, or 32, according to which is open. The jacket about the lower portion of the retort chamber may hold the temperature of chamber 4 down at starting in the region of 150 E, as the charring zone on the material as undergoing treatment lowers, it should not bring the gum melting zone on the material as undergoing treatment in advance thereof'to'a temperature higher than 250 F., as preferably conducted hereunder in handling southern long leaf yellow pine.

Instead of distilling the tar vapors to pass off above, the upper dampers 32 34, may both be closed, and the product as thus collected in the flow from the troughs 48 is of a dark cherry red in color.

In the final finishing operations, the Va"- rious products may be broken up into the desired fractions or degrees of refinement for the purposes or conditions of use as may be consistent with local conditions and commercial opportunities as current.

What is claimed and it is desired to secure by Letters Patent is: I

l. The method of distilling resinous wood in a retort which has the wall of the upper portion of the retort externally heated by hot products of combination and the wall of the lower portion of the retort externally heated by a temperature controlled water jacket at the temperture of steam generation gressively heating the sticks first at its upper surface by indirect heating of hot combustion gases to remove the highly volatile constituents therefrom, increasing the temperature of the upper surface of the sticks by indirect heating of hotcombustion gases to effect charring of the wood simultanenously heating the lower portion of the wood at the temperature of the water and steam in the temperature controlled water jacket for promoting the rosin exudations from the wood.

2; The method of distilling resinous wood in a retort which has the wall of the upper portion of the retort externally heated by hot products of combustion and the wall of the lower portion of the retort externally heated by a temperature controlled water jacket at the temperature of steam generation, comprising stacking the wood in the form of elongated sticks within the retort so that its grain extends in an upward direction, progressively heating the sticks first at its up per surface by indirect heating of hot combustion gasesto remove the highly volatile constituents therefrom, increasing the temperature of the upper surface of the sticks 

